Goat Posted March 28, 2006 Share Posted March 28, 2006 (edited) Most local council services have now been outsourced, binmen included. God knows what most of the remaining local govt employees spend their time doing. Edited March 28, 2006 by Young Goat Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BoredTrainBuilder Posted March 28, 2006 Share Posted March 28, 2006 Can some one explain to me why because the private sector was mugged with their pensions which I have geniune sympathy for, that the public sector therefore must also be mugged similarly to even things up. Quite simple: those of us in the private sector have to fund both our own pensions and yours. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flash harry Posted March 28, 2006 Share Posted March 28, 2006 I'm on strike Today not because I support it but becuase the bloody employers are also on the picket lines i.e. union friendly councillors. There'e a prevailing culture of pressure to conform to the stike but if there are more announced i think many will not support it. To give you an indication of wages savings there is approx 370,000 of saving just for my LA for todays action. But not really savings as the service provider is not providing a service. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fudge Posted March 28, 2006 Share Posted March 28, 2006 Quite simple: those of us in the private sector have to fund both our own pensions and yours. Which wouldnt be a problem if pay and conditions werent being driven down to such a severe level in the private sector, people start seeing it as the source of the problem instead of a result. My wife has just told me the factory where she works just took on a load of immigrant workers at a fraction of what she was earning, soon they will telling her she has to work for what they are paying them, which we could simply not afford to do. So businesses are paying lower wages throughout the private sector, resulting in much less tax going in and less money for things like pensions. However you want to cut it, it is a transfer of wealth away from those who worked all their lives to business bosses. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Potter Posted March 28, 2006 Share Posted March 28, 2006 Guess what - my bin men came around today... WHY?? Because they wanted to get paid!! (PS do you know what bin men get paid - i heard its over the £25,000 mark or around that figure! - not bad for people with no education and the 80+ rule ) Have a look at some of the positions in LA. We in have a 'gypsy liaison officer' and a 'gay liaison officer'. Each earn £25-£30k per year. After all, Bolton is the home of the famous Mardi Gras and congrigation point for travellers everywhere. Int it? 37.5 hours a week, plus flexitime, 30+ days hols, 80ths pension, subsidised canteen and the best working conditions you can have doing 3/5s of FA. Why the hell would I not want to pay for their pension? Dont get me wrong, dinner ladies, lolly pop men etc all do a job, but you cannot operate a system of benefits for 25% of the workforce which the other 75% do not have. People are on crap pay in private sector too plus inferior conditions and benefits. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elizabeth Posted March 28, 2006 Share Posted March 28, 2006 Pensions are sustainable as long as <15% of the population is claiming on them. The only other option is investment but most people lack the knowledge and/or scruples to achieve a decent return Pensions would be sustainable if the Councils hadn't spent years not taking payment holidays, and when they finally got back from holiday declared them unaffordable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PostalVote Posted March 28, 2006 Share Posted March 28, 2006 In reading this I realise why my bins sit full and untouched by the road side. :angry: On the radio this morning I heard one chap explain how unfair it was that he wouldn't be able to retire overseas at my expense. WTF. How can I have sympathy for these "workers" when I have nothing but contempt for the services they consistently fail to deliver? Stuff em. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnnyLaw Posted March 28, 2006 Share Posted March 28, 2006 The question for today is not I think can the Economy Afford These Strikes?, but can housepricecrash.co.uk afford to alienate 40% of the UK population?, 40% being I believe the proportion of the UK population historically employed in the public sector. Off-topic forum please moderator! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BuyingBear Posted March 28, 2006 Share Posted March 28, 2006 Pensions would be sustainable if the Councils hadn't spent years not taking payment holidays, and when they finally got back from holiday declared them unaffordable. I don't know how many times I need to explain this to you Elizabeth but the public sector is one big pension holiday, there never has been a pension pot in the public sphere! It's a hand-to-mouth system, taxes come in and pensions go out. Do you really think the fractions of a percent out of your salary really funds the pensions? They're completely unfunded, they always have been, it's just a generational burden they leave on the next tax payer. This applies to state pensions too, NIC is essentially a big con, a gaint ponzi scheme. The question for today is not I think can the Economy Afford These Strikes?, but can housepricecrash.co.uk afford to alienate 40% of the UK population?, 40% being I believe the proportion of the UK population historically employed in the public sector. Off-topic forum please moderator! The public sector employs around 25% of the work force (not even the NAO is quite sure), however the tax burden is 44% of GDP, you can do the maths for yourself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pelican Posted March 28, 2006 Share Posted March 28, 2006 Buying Bear, Im a pensions actuary working for Public sector funds, the Local Government Pension Scheme, which they were striking about today, is funded I can assure you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BuyingBear Posted March 28, 2006 Share Posted March 28, 2006 (edited) Buying Bear, Im a pensions actuary working for Public sector funds, the Local Government Pension Scheme, which they were striking about today, is funded I can assure you. It's funded by government IOU's... which is just a claim on future tax income. The Police and Fire are completely unfunded, I believe their ancillary staff were out today. Edited March 28, 2006 by BuyingBear Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
a j Posted March 28, 2006 Share Posted March 28, 2006 I don't know how many times I need to explain this to you Elizabeth but the public sector is one big pension holiday, there never has been a pension pot in the public sphere! BB - not true. The local government pension schemes are funded (but many have shortfalls). On recent TUPE calculations I've seen the employer contributions for LG schemes varies between 23-27%. If you saw some of the clauses in the contracts you'd feel like signing up straight away. I think the local government workers have had a harder time than the rest of the public sector precisely because their schemes are funded - its hitting our council tax bills now rather than being a part of the demographic time bomb. I heard an interview on radio 4 this lunchtime when a government spokesman made the comment that pensions for other areas of the public sector weren't being cut in the same way as they were funded on the 'pay as you go basis'. Great - there's no savings in place at all for the rest of them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BuyingBear Posted March 28, 2006 Share Posted March 28, 2006 (edited) BB - not true. The local government pension schemes are funded (but many have shortfalls). On recent TUPE calculations I've seen the employer contributions for LG schemes varies between 23-27%. If you saw some of the clauses in the contracts you'd feel like signing up straight away. You'd be stupid not to, I can't blame them in a way, but everyone else can wave goodbye to a massive chunk of their council tax each year. However, the funding arrangements will not stand once the bulk of boomers hit the system, local taxation will continue to go through he roof. Edited March 28, 2006 by BuyingBear Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laurejon Posted March 28, 2006 Share Posted March 28, 2006 Divide and rule, its all coming together. Set the people apart from one another, then rule over them. Oldest Socialist trick in the book, trouble is nobody can see it coming but they will when it happens. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
a j Posted March 28, 2006 Share Posted March 28, 2006 You'd be stupid not to, I can't blame them in a way, but everyone else can wave goodbye to a massive chunk of their council tax each year. However, the funding arrangements will not stand once the bulk of boomers hit the system, local taxation will continue to go through he roof. Why do you think the LGPS is more exposed to the boomers than private sector final salary schemes? The real hit will be with the unfunded pensions of the civil service etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fudge Posted March 28, 2006 Share Posted March 28, 2006 Divide and rule, its all coming together. Set the people apart from one another, then rule over them. Oldest Socialist trick in the book, trouble is nobody can see it coming but they will when it happens. Socialist trick, you're having a laugh aint you. The Tories wrote the book on dirty tricks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BufferBear Bitcoin Bull Posted March 28, 2006 Share Posted March 28, 2006 (edited) http://www.statistics.gov.uk/cci/nugget.asp?id=10 Don't believe everything you read. My pay rise was 2.0%. It is professional civil servants pay rises who probably skewed the figures. Divide and rule, its all coming together. Set the people apart from one another, then rule over them. Oldest Socialist trick in the book, trouble is nobody can see it coming but they will when it happens. Spot on! It really is that simple. I suggest the intelligence many of you have used to understand the housing market, is now applied to the issues that triggered industrial action today. You are likely to be suprised. Don't act like sheep and be manipulated by the government and media. Edited March 28, 2006 by Buffer Bear Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frugalista Posted March 28, 2006 Share Posted March 28, 2006 A lot of people have been talking about private sector workers being "forced" to work until age 65, 70 etc. But, almost nobody under 45 has a final salary pension in the private sector. It is all money purchase schemes these days, right? So surely if you are in the private sector with a money purchase scheme you retire as soon as you have saved enough (with a minimum age of 60 or whatever). Big spenders will work until 70 or beyond. Frugal savers will retire early. Correct me if I'm wrong. frugalista Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laurejon Posted March 28, 2006 Share Posted March 28, 2006 In russian Government employees retire early, paid for by the workers. They live in nice houses purpose built for government workers and subsidised by the workers. Can you not see a picture emerging, can you not see that slippery path we are going down because if you cannot then there is very little hope for you all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fudge Posted March 28, 2006 Share Posted March 28, 2006 In russian Government employees retire early, paid for by the workers. They live in nice houses purpose built for government workers and subsidised by the workers. Can you not see a picture emerging, can you not see that slippery path we are going down because if you cannot then there is very little hope for you all. In UK/USA Government and big business bosses retire early, paid by the workers. They live in nice houses purpose built for government and big business bosses all subsidised by the workers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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